Heat exchanger and refrigerant cycle device using the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of fluid passages through which a heat-exchanger fluid including a liquid-phase fluid passes, a tank disposed above inlet parts of the fluid passages for distributing a flow of the heat-exchanger fluid to the fluid passages, and a retention member that is located above the inlet parts within the tank, for temporarily storing therein the liquid-phase fluid flowing into the tank. The retention member is constructed such that the liquid-phase fluid overflowing from the retention member falls toward the inlet part. Accordingly, the heat-exchanger fluid can be uniformly distributed into the fluid passages from the tank. For example, the heat exchanger can be used as an evaporator for a refrigerant cycle device having an ejector.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of tubes defining fluid passages through which a heat-exchanger fluid including at least a liquid-phase fluid passes;   a tank disposed above an inlet part of the plurality of fluid passages for distributing a flow of the heat-exchanger fluid to the fluid passages; and   a retention member, located above the inlet part within the tank, for temporarily storing therein the liquid-phase fluid flowing into the tank,   wherein the retention member is constructed such that the liquid-phase fluid overflowing from the retention member falls toward the inlet part.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the retention member has a mountain section protruding from a horizontal surface,   wherein the mountain section and an inner wall surface of the tank extending in a vertical direction define a recessed retention portion in which the liquid-phase fluid is temporarily stored, and   wherein the mountain section of the retention member includes an apex area having a hole through which the liquid-phase fluid stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.   
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein a flexed angle (θ) of the mountain section is in a range from 30 degrees to 170 degrees. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein the hole is provided in the mountain section to be superimposed over the inlet part. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein an edge of the hole is formed in a wave shape. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein an edge of the hole is formed in a wave shape, and   wherein an apex of the wave shape recessed toward an outside of the hole is superimposed over the inlet part.   
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the retention member includes a tilt plate tilted in the tank with respective to a horizontal direction, and   wherein the tilt plate has: a lower part, which forms a retention portion in which the liquid-phase fluid is temporarily stored, together with an inner wall surface of the tank; and an upper part having a hole through which the liquid-phase fluid stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.   
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the retention member includes a plate member having a recessed part for defining a retention portion in which the liquid-phase fluid is temporarily stored, and   wherein the plate member is separated from an inner wall of the tank to form a hole through which the liquid-phase fluid stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.   
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the retention member has a plurality of holes each of which overlaps with at least one of the inlet parts of the tubes.   
   
   
       10 . A refrigerant cycle device comprising
 a compressor for compressing refrigerant;   a radiator for cooling the refrigerant from the compressor;   an ejector which has a nozzle part for decompressing the refrigerant from the radiator, and a refrigerant suction port from which refrigerant is drawn by a high-speed refrigerant flow jetted from a jet port of the nozzle part;   a one evaporator in which the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port is evaporated, wherein the one evaporator includes a plurality of tubes defining refrigerant passages through which refrigerant including at least a liquid-phase refrigerant passes, and a tank disposed above an inlet part of the plurality of refrigerant passages for distributing a flow of the refrigerant to the refrigerant passages; and   a retention member, located in the tank above the inlet part, for temporarily storing therein the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing into the tank,   wherein the retention member is provided to form a hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant overflowing from the retention member falls toward the inlet part.   
   
   
       11 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 another evaporator for evaporating refrigerant,   wherein the another evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet coupled to a refrigerant outlet of the ejector and a refrigerant outlet coupled to a refrigerant suction side of the compressor, and   wherein the one evaporator and the another evaporator are integrated with the ejector.   
   
   
       12 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 , wherein the ejector is integrated with at least the one evaporator. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 12 , wherein the ejector is located in the tank of the one evaporator. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 12 , wherein the ejector is integrated with the one evaporator outside of the one evaporator. 
   
   
       15 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 a decompression member, integrated with the one evaporator, for decompressing the refrigerant flowing into the one evaporator.   
   
   
       16 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 a gas-liquid separator, integrated with the one evaporator, for separating the refrigerant after passing through the tubes of the one evaporator into gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant.   
   
   
       17 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the retention member has a mountain section protruding from a horizontal surface,   wherein the mountain section and an inner wall surface of the tank extending in a vertical direction define a recessed retention portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant is temporarily stored, and   wherein the mountain section of the retention member includes an apex area having the hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.   
   
   
       18 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the retention member includes a tilt plate tilted in the tank with respective to a horizontal direction, and   wherein the tilt plate has: a lower part, which forms a retention portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant is temporarily stored, together with an inner wall surface of the tank; and an upper part having the hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.   
   
   
       19 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the retention member includes a plate member having a recessed part for defining a retention portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant is temporarily stored, and   wherein the plate member is separated from an inner wall of the tank to form the hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.   
   
   
       20 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 15 , wherein the decompression member and the ejector are integrated with the one evaporator.